Examine individual changes

'{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}} {{short description|2017 American visual novel developed by Team Salvato}} {{Good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox video game | collapsible = | italic title = | title = Doki Doki Literature Club! | image = File:Doki Doki Literature Club Cover.jpg | caption = The cover art of ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'', featuring the four main characters (from left to right) Sayori, Yuri, Monika and Natsuki. | developer = Team Salvato | publisher = Team Salvato | series = | engine = [[Ren'Py]] | platforms = {{Unbulleted list|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[macOS]]|[[Linux]]}} | released = {{Video game release|WW|September 22, 2017}} | genre = [[Visual novel]] <!-- The genre field is for gameplay genres only. This should not include thematic genres like science fiction, horror, etc. --> | modes = [[Single-player]] | director = | producer = | designer = Dan Salvato | programmer = Dan Salvato | artist = Satchely (characters)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/_Satchely/status/1134951398624432130 |title=Satchel on Twitter: "Is anyone able to edit the DDLC Wikipedia article? I got notified that for some reason I'm not credited as the artist anymore" |author=Satchely |date=June 1, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Satchely">{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/_Satchely/status/1135187349372047360 |title=Satchel on Twitter: "Suddenly the artist credit is being switched around in the article, I don't think it was like that yesterday. Kagefumi didn't draw the final sprites and backgrounds. Her art isn't in the game because she left the project very early on." |author=Satchely |date=June 2, 2019}}</ref><br>VelinquenT (backgrounds) | writer = Dan Salvato | composer = Dan Salvato | alt = The four main characters pose in front of a white background dotted with pink polka dots. The game's logo sits in the top left corner. }} '''''Doki Doki Literature Club!''''' is a 2017 American freeware [[visual novel]] developed by Team Salvato for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[macOS]], and [[Linux]]. The game was initially distributed through [[itch.io]], and later became available on [[Steam (software)|Steam]]. The story follows a male high school student who joins the school's literature club and interacts with its four female members. The game features a mostly linear story, with some alternative scenes and endings depending on the choices the player makes. While the game appears at first glance to be a lighthearted [[dating sim]]ulator, it is in fact a [[metafiction]]al [[psychological horror]] game that extensively breaks the [[fourth wall]]. The game was developed in an estimated two-year period by a team led by Dan Salvato, known previously for his modding work for ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. According to Salvato, the inspiration for the game came from his mixed feelings toward [[anime]] and a fascination for surreal and unsettling experiences. Upon its release, ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' received positive critical attention for its successful use of horror elements and unconventional nature within the visual novel genre. ==Gameplay== [[File:DDLCPoemCreation.jpg|left|thumb|The poem writing minigame in ''Doki Doki Literature Club!''|alt=The player is able to select a word from a selection, presented in a lined notebook. A counter in the upper right shows how many words are left to choose. Three of the main character, Sayori; Natsuki; and Yuri, are present in the bottom left in chiibi form.]] ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' is a visual novel. As such, its gameplay has a low level of interactivity and consists of scenes with static two-dimensional images of characters in a first-person perspective. The narration and dialogue are presented in the form of accompanying text. The narration is provided by the game's protagonist, a member of the titular literature club, to which he was invited by his childhood friend Sayori.<ref name="RPGFan">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club/index.html |title=RPGFan Review—''Doki Doki Literature Club'' |last=Fenner |first=Robert |publisher=RPGFan |date=December 24, 2017 |accessdate=February 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006155112/http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club/index.html |archive-date=October 6, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="PCGamer">{{cite magazine |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' hides a gruesome horror game under its cute surface |last=Wright |first=Steven |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/doki-doki-literature-club-hides-a-gruesome-horror-game-under-its-cute-surface/ |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |date=October 26, 2017 |accessdate=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027074729/http://www.pcgamer.com/doki-doki-literature-club-hides-a-gruesome-horror-game-under-its-cute-surface/ |archive-date=October 27, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="GameGrin">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamegrin.com/reviews/doki-doki-literature-club-review/ |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' Review |first=Billy | last=Clarke |date=February 14, 2018 |publisher=GameGrin |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613203809/https://www.gamegrin.com/reviews/doki-doki-literature-club-review/ |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> At certain points, the player will be prompted to make decisions that determine the course of subsequent events, all of which will effect the game in a certain way (see Plot, Endings). Such decisions affect the development of the protagonist's relationships with the key female characters Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika.<ref name="GameRevolution">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/357937-trust-need-play-doki-doki-literature-club |title=Trust Me, You Need to Play ''Doki Doki Literature Club'' |first=Paul |last=Tamburro |date=November 28, 2017 |publisher=GameRevolution |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109055321/https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/357937-trust-need-play-doki-doki-literature-club |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The characters' interactions with the protagonist are also influenced by a [[minigame]] in which the player is required to compose a [[Poetry|poem]] from a set of individual words. Each girl in the literature club has different word preferences, and will react positively when the player picks a word that they like.<ref name="RPGFan"/><ref name="PCGamer"/><ref name="GameGrin"/><ref name="GameRevolution"/> The characters' reactions are represented by [[Chibi (slang)|chibi]] versions of the characters that are displayed at the bottom of the screen during the minigame.<ref name="RPGFan"/> Depending on the results of these minigames, the player can enable additional scenes with the character to whom the poem was dedicated.<ref name="GameGrin"/><ref name="GameRevolution"/> The narrative is divided into four acts, between which the game restarts.<ref name="IGNJapan">{{cite web |url=https://jp.ign.com/doki-doki-literature-club/22567/opinion/doki-doki-literature-club |title=【完全ネタバレコラム】世界を大いに盛り上げる「Doki Doki Literature Club」の真の目的と少女たちからの救難信号 |language=Japanese |date=March 4, 2018 |first=Shōhei | last=Fujita |publisher=IGN Japan |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626030125/http://jp.ign.com/doki-doki-literature-club/22567/opinion/doki-doki-literature-club |archive-date=June 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> At a certain point, the player must access the game's files in order to advance the narrative.<ref name="RockPaperShotgun">{{cite web |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' is a hidden horror game for the internet age |last=Josuweit |first=Amy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/31/doki-doki-literature-club-horror-game/ |publisher=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |date=October 31, 2017 |accessdate=October 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025154549/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/31/doki-doki-literature-club-horror-game/ |archive-date=October 25, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> ==Plot== '''Act 1''' The protagonist is invited by his cheerful [[childhood sweetheart]], Sayori, to join their high school's literature club as a remedy for his insular nature.<ref name="RPGFan" /><ref name="PCGamer" /><ref name="GameGrin" /> The protagonist reluctantly agrees to her proposal and meets the other members of the club: the assertive Natsuki, the shy Yuri, and the bubbly club president Monika.<ref name="RPGFan" /><ref name="GameGrin" /><ref name="GameRevolution" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Get to Know Your Fellow Lovers Of Writing With ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' |last=Couture |first=Joel |url=https://www.siliconera.com/2017/10/13/get-know-fellow-lovers-writing-doki-doki-literature-club/ |publisher=Silicon Era |date=October 13, 2017 |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816112633/http://www.siliconera.com/2017/10/13/get-know-fellow-lovers-writing-doki-doki-literature-club/ |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The protagonist writes and shares poems with his new club-mates and deepens his relationships with them. As the club prepares for the school's upcoming [[Cultural festival (Japan)|cultural festival]], Sayori reveals to the protagonist that she suffers from [[Major depressive disorder|depression]] and confesses her love for him.<ref name="PCGamesN">{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/doki-doki-literature-club/doki-doki-literature-club-visual-novel |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' is a visual novel worthy of a ''Black Mirror'' episode |date=February 16, 2018 |first=Mitch Jay | last=Lineham |publisher=PCGamesN |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005202045/https://www.pcgamesn.com/doki-doki-literature-club/doki-doki-literature-club-visual-novel |archive-date=October 5, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The following day, Monika passively shows the protagonist an uncharacteristically morbid poem by Sayori that insistently orders someone to get out of her head. Realizing that something has happened to her, the protagonist rushes to Sayori's home, where he discovers that she has <!-- NOT "hung". See the page [[Hanging]]: "In this specialized meaning of the common word hang, the past and past participle is hanged instead of hung." -->[[Suicide by hanging|hanged herself]], and the game abruptly ends.<ref name="IGNJapan" /><ref name="PCGamesN" /> '''Act 2''' The player is sent back to the main menu, with all previous save files erased.<ref name="Polygon1">{{cite web |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' is an uncontrollably horrific visual novel |last=Rose |first=Victoria |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/22/16512204/doki-doki-literature-club-pc-explained |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=October 22, 2017 |accessdate=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023003236/https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/22/16512204/doki-doki-literature-club-pc-explained |archive-date=October 23, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The narrative repeats upon the start of a new game, but Sayori is glaringly absent; her name and dialogue are [[Mojibake|rendered illegible]], and the characters do not remember her existence. In addition, the character sprites appear corrupted from time to time.<ref name="PCGamesN"/><ref name="Kotaku">{{cite web |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' Scared Me Shitless |last=Jackson |first=Gita |url=https://kotaku.com/doki-doki-literature-club-scared-me-shitless-1819361548 |publisher=Kotaku |date=October 11, 2017 |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031000226/https://kotaku.com/doki-doki-literature-club-scared-me-shitless-1819361548 |archive-date=October 31, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Monika takes Sayori's place in inviting the protagonist to the club. Aside from the game's frequent distortions, the normally calm and shy Yuri becomes gradually unstable, possessive and prone to [[self-harm]].<ref name="IGNJapan"/> Yuri's decline in sanity culminates in the act of giving the protagonist a "poem" that is indecipherable and covered in blood and other bodily fluids. When Monika seems to be callously dismissing this anomalous behavior, Natsuki secretly passes the protagonist a message under the guise of a poem that begs him to seek help for Yuri, only to be immediately manipulated into telling the protagonist to disregard the message and devote his attention solely to Monika. After a heated quarrel over who the protagonist will help with the school festival, Yuri ejects Monika and Natsuki from the room and privately confesses her love for the protagonist. Whether or not the protagonist accepts Yuri's confession, she commits suicide by repeatedly stabbing herself.<ref name="PCGamesN"/> Due to the game's broken [[Scripting language|script]], the protagonist is stuck motionless in the room with Yuri's decaying cadaver over the course of a weekend. Natsuki returns upon the weekend's conclusion, but is horrified and nauseated by the sight of Yuri's body and flees the scene. Monika appears and apologizes to the protagonist for the "boring" weekend he had spent, and begins a display of compensation by deleting Yuri and Natsuki's character files from the game and sending the player back to the main menu.<ref name="IGNJapan"/> '''Act 3''' A new file is started automatically, and the protagonist is placed in a room with Monika seated across from him. Monika reveals that she is a self-aware video game character who has the ability to manipulate and delete other character files, which she used to alter the behavior of her club-mates in an unsuccessful bid to make them unlikable and prevent their confessions of love to the protagonist. She expresses her loneliness from being relegated to a fruitless supporting role within an empty world where her only company had been "autonomous personalities" designed only to fall in love with the protagonist, and she confesses her own love not to the protagonist character, but directly to the player.<ref name="IGNJapan" /><ref name="PCGamesN" /> Monika will sit and talk to the player indefinitely about various topics until the player manually enters the game's [[Directory (computing)|directory]] and deletes Monika's character file. Monika initially lashes out at the player, but ultimately forgives them and remorsefully repents by restoring the game and the characters excluding herself. ===Endings=== Depending on the course of action taken by the player, the game can come to three possible conclusions. The standard ending sees Sayori introducing herself as the president of the literature club and thanking the player for getting rid of Monika. As she adopts Monika's possessive characteristics, Monika intervenes via text prompt and deletes Sayori to save the player. Monika deletes the game over the course of the credits, and the game concludes with a note from Monika, stating that she has disbanded the literature club because "no happiness can be found" in it.<ref name="IGNJapan"/> A more positive ending occurs if the player has viewed all of the optional scenes in a single playthrough, which requires saving and loading at several points before witnessing Sayori's initial suicide.<ref name="Twinfinite">{{cite web |url=https://twinfinite.net/2017/12/doki-doki-literature-club-endings/ |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'': How to Get All Endings | first=Jamie | last=Payne |date=December 7, 2017 |publisher=Twinfinite |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002065553/https://twinfinite.net/2017/12/doki-doki-literature-club-endings/ |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Sayori instead expresses her gratitude to the player for emotionally supporting all the club members, tearfully bids farewell and assures the player that all the club members love them before deleting the game herself. After the credits, the player is presented with a message from the game's developer, Dan Salvato.<ref name="AllGamers">{{cite web |url=https://allgamers.com/article/3654/doki-doki-literature-club-how-to-get-the-best-ending-fulfilling-ending |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'': How to Get the Best Ending, Fulfilling Ending |first=Larryn | last=Bell |date=January 3, 2018 |publisher=AllGamers |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064946/https://allgamers.com/article/3654/doki-doki-literature-club-how-to-get-the-best-ending-fulfilling-ending |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> If the player preemptively deletes Monika's file from the directory before starting the game, Sayori is made the default leader of the club. Upon realizing the true nature of the game and her role in it, Sayori panics and forcefully closes the game. Opening the game again will display an image of Sayori having hanged herself. If this image is left on screen for ten minutes, a line of text will appear next to Sayori's corpse reading either: "Now everyone can be happy." or "Nothing is real."<ref name="Twinfinite"/> ==Development and release== ''Doki Doki Literature Club'' was developed by American programmer Dan Salvato over the course of approximately two years, and is his debut title in the video game industry.<ref name=interview>{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/doki-doki-literature-clubs-horror-was-born-from-a-love-1819724999 |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'''s Horror Was Born From A Love-Hate Relationship With Anime |last=Jackson |first=Gita |date=October 20, 2017 |publisher=[[Kotaku]] |accessdate=October 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021235436/https://kotaku.com/doki-doki-literature-clubs-horror-was-born-from-a-love-1819724999 |archive-date=October 21, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Prior to its release, Salvato was known for creating the ''FrankerFaceZ'' extension for [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]],<ref name=interview/> his [[Mod (video gaming)|modding]] work in the ''[[Super Smash Bros]]'' scene,<ref>{{cite web |title=Powerful mod adds replay feature to ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' |last=Good |first=Owen |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/9/13/9318615/super-smash-bros-melee-replay-mod-20xx |website=Polygon |date=September 13, 2015 |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626111443/https://www.polygon.com/2015/9/13/9318615/super-smash-bros-melee-replay-mod-20xx |archive-date=June 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and for his custom ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' levels.<ref>{{cite web |title=P is for Pain is the new contender for ''Mario Maker''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hardest level |last=Blain |first=Louise |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/p-pain-new-contender-mario-makers-hardest-level/ |publisher=GamesRadar |date=October 9, 2015 |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626135254/https://www.gamesradar.com/p-pain-new-contender-mario-makers-hardest-level/ |archive-date=June 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Eversion''-Inspired ''Super Mario Maker'' Level Uses Doors In An Ingenious Way |url=https://www.siliconera.com/2015/09/21/eversion-inspired-super-mario-maker-level-uses-doors-in-an-ingenious-way/ |publisher=Silliconera |date=September 21, 2017 |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626110847/https://www.siliconera.com/2015/09/21/eversion-inspired-super-mario-maker-level-uses-doors-in-an-ingenious-way/ |archive-date=June 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Salvato was inspired to create a visual novel by his "love-hate relationship" with [[anime]], and emphasized the abundant use of clichés in the genre and the frequent plots centering around "cute girls doing cute things", which he saw as both an asset and a detriment to the viewer's enjoyment. Salvato sought to create a title that would attract the player's attention regardless of how they personally view anime.<ref name=interview/> Discussing the horror elements of the game, Salvato explained that he was inspired by "things that are scary because they make you uncomfortable, not because they shove scary-looking things in your face."<ref name=interview/> To achieve this, Salvato developed the façade of a cute setting, which would break down over time along with the behavior of the characters, and eventually the role of one evil character who had seized control of the game from the player would be revealed. In creating the game's horror elements, Salvato drew inspiration from ''[[Yume Nikki]]'' and ''[[Eversion (video game)|Eversion]]'', and emphasized to his team that he wanted the market for visual novels to become much more daring and less reliant on the same plot concepts.<ref name="Concept3">Salvato, Dan (2017) ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' Concept Art Booklet, p. 3</ref> The game's characters were based around standard anime archetypes and were given Japanese names to emphasize a pseudo-Japanese atmosphere characteristic of Western-produced visual novels. The sole exception to this format is [[Monika (character)|Monika]], who received an English name as a hint to her individual nature compared to the other characters.<ref name="Concept4">Salvato, Dan (2017) ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' Concept Art Booklet, p. 4</ref> [[File:DDLC_Character_Sketches.png|thumb|The prototypical versions of the cast of ''Doki Doki Literature Club'' were created by Dan Salvato in a free online program for creating anime characters.|alt=The four main characters in a prototype art style. The art is notably less refined, resembling older visual novels.]] Because Salvato lacked artistic skill, he used a free online anime-creation program to create the initial character designs and applied these designs in test versions of the game.<ref name="Concept5">Salvato, Dan (2017) ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' Concept Art Booklet, p. 5</ref> Salvato recognized that a product of such quality would not satisfy potential players,<ref name="Concept5"/> so he made a request to his friend, a translator for [[Sekai Project]], for sketches of school uniforms and hairstyles for the characters.<ref name="Concept11">Salvato, Dan (2017) ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' Concept Art Booklet, p. 11</ref> Salvato then handed initial visual development over to Kagefumi, who left the project very early on. After Kagefumi's departure from the project, Salvato contacted the freelance artist Satchel, who created the final character [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]], over the course of a few months.<ref name="Satchely"/> The sprites were created in several parts to give the poses more variety.<ref name="Concept18">Salvato, Dan (2017) ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' Concept Art Booklet, p. 18</ref> The background images were originally created as three-dimensional models, and then processed by the artist VelinquenT.<ref name="Concept20">Salvato, Dan (2017) ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' Concept Art Booklet, p. 20</ref> Salvato also composed the game's score.<ref name="GameCredits">{{cite video game |title=Doki Doki Literature Club! |developer=Team Salvato |date=September 22, 2017 |platform=Windows |level=End credits}}</ref> The introductory composition, "Doki Doki Literature Club!", is primarily performed by [[piano]] and [[flute]] with accompaniment by [[string instrument]]s. The composition "Okay, Everyone!" has five different versions, four of which are performed by different musical instruments that represent each of the four female characters. Monika's version emphasizes the piano, Yuri's version uses [[pizzicato]] and [[harp]]s, Natsuki's version is played by [[xylophone]] and [[recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]], and Sayori's is played by [[ukulele]]. The game's score is generally calm and serene with the exception of two tracks, "Sayo-nara" and "Just Monika", which are ominous in tone.<ref name="OST">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ddlc-ost/index.html |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' OST |first=Marcos | last=Gaspar |date=September 22, 2017 |publisher=RPGFan Music |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008214337/http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ddlc-ost/index.html |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> "Your Reality", a vocal song performed over the end credits, is sung by Jillian Ashcraft.<ref name="GameCredits"/> ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' was first released on September 22, 2017 on [[itch.io]], and was later also released on [[Steam (software)|Steam]].<ref>{{cite web |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' on Steam |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/698780 |publisher=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]] |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907031029/https://store.steampowered.com/app/698780 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The game is available as [[freeware]] with an optional [[pay what you want]] model. Paying US$10 or more unlocks a bonus "Fan Pack" that includes desktop and mobile wallpapers, the game's official soundtrack, and a digital concept art booklet.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' Fan Pack on Steam |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/717250 |publisher=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]] |accessdate=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331042807/https://store.steampowered.com/app/717250 |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The game's soundtrack was released on two [[compact disc]]s respectively consisting of 15 and 10 tracks. The first CD contains all the main compositions of the game, while the second consists of [[remix]]es and alternative [[arrangement]]s.<ref name="OST"/> The soundtrack saw another release by [[iam8bit]] on "crimson smoke" [[phonograph record|vinyl]] in the first quarter of 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hardcoregamer.com/2018/09/19/doki-doki-literature-club-soundtrack-coming-to-vinyl/312990/ |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' Soundtrack Coming to Vinyl |first=Marcus |last=Estrada |date=September 19, 2018 |publisher=Hardcore Gamer |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008214045/https://www.hardcoregamer.com/2018/09/19/doki-doki-literature-club-soundtrack-coming-to-vinyl/312990/ |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> ==Reception== {{Video game reviews | MC = 78/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/doki-doki-literature-club! |title=Doki Doki Literature Club! for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |accessdate=February 21, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215210711/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/doki-doki-literature-club! |archivedate=February 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> | JXV = 18/20<ref name="Jeuxvideo">{{cite web |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/743727/doki-doki-literature-club-ne-jamais-se-fier-aux-apparences.htm |title=Test : ''Doki Doki Literature Club'' : ne jamais se fier aux apparences |author=VisualNovelist |date=November 19, 2017 |publisher=Jeuxvideo.com |language=French |accessdate=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227145210/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/743727/doki-doki-literature-club-ne-jamais-se-fier-aux-apparences.htm |archive-date=February 27, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | rev1 = ''GameGrin'' | rev1Score = 8.5/10<ref name="GameGrin"/> | rev2 = ''Quarter to Three'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2018/01/18/first-rule-doki-doki-literature-club-not-talk-doki-doki-literature-club/ |title=The first rule of ''Doki Doki Literature Club'' is not to talk about ''Doki Doki Literature Club'' |first=Tom |last=Chick |date=January 18, 2018 |publisher=Quarter to Three |accessdate=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006154918/https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2018/01/18/first-rule-doki-doki-literature-club-not-talk-doki-doki-literature-club/ |archive-date=October 6, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | rev3 = ''RPGFan'' | rev3Score = 90%<ref name="RPGFan"/> | award1Pub = [[IGN]] | award1 = Best PC Game of 2017 (People's Choice)<ref name="IGNAward">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Best_PC_Game |title=Best of 2017 Awards: Best PC Game |website=IGN |date=December 20, 2017 |accessdate=January 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141823/http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Best_PC_Game |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | award2Pub = [[SXSW Gaming Awards]] | award2 = Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award<ref name="Matthew Crump">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/03/18/sxsw-gaming-awards-2018-winners-revealed |title=2018 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners Revealed |author=IGN Studios |date=March 17, 2018 |website=IGN |accessdate=March 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318113052/http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/03/18/sxsw-gaming-awards-2018-winners-revealed |archive-date=March 18, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> }} In its first three months of release, ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' was downloaded over one million times,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/12/11/doki-doki-literature-club-hits-1-million-downloads |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' Hits 1 Million Downloads |last=Barnett |first=Brian |date=December 11, 2017 |website=[[IGN]] |accessdate=December 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216233849/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/12/11/doki-doki-literature-club-hits-1-million-downloads |archive-date=December 16, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and exceeded two million downloads about a month later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/doki-doki-literature-club/doki-doki-literature-club-player-numbers |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' surpasses two million downloads |last=Jones |first=Ali |date=January 15, 2018 |publisher=[[PCGamesN]] |accessdate=January 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828154317/https://www.pcgamesn.com/doki-doki-literature-club/doki-doki-literature-club-player-numbers |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The game was received positively by critics, and accumulated a score of 78/100 on Metacritic based on 7 reviews.<ref name="MC"/> Steven T. Wright of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' described the game as "a post-modern love letter to the genre it represents", and compared its deconstructive quality to ''[[Undertale]]'' and ''[[Pony Island]]''.<ref name="PCGamer"/> Robert Fenner of RPGFan noted that traditionally, major visual novel developers such as [[Key (company)|Key]] and [[Mages (company)|5pb.]] produced lengthy day-by-day narratives of a standard anime protagonist's relationships with their supporting cast. According to Fenner, previous attempts to revise the format, such as ''[[Hatoful Boyfriend]]'' and ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'', could not escape the conventions of their genre and fully reveal their dramatic potential. He then declared that ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' had succeeded in this field by making unusual use of the [[Ren'Py]] engine and providing unexpected plot twists.<ref name="RPGFan"/> Reviewers emphasized that the game achieves its surprising impact on the player due to its outward resemblance to typical [[eroge]] games: it has a pronounced anime style in its character design,<ref name="RPGFan"/><ref name="RockPaperShotgun"/> and the game's goal is to develop a relationship with one of the characters.<ref name="Polygon1"/><ref name="Kotaku"/> In addition, the characters consist of anime stereotypes whose behavior is sparsely displayed through their sprites,<ref name="GameGrin"/> and the game's musical accompaniment is light, bouncy, gentle and playful.<ref name="RPGFan"/><ref name="PCGamer"/> According to critics, these aspects combined to create the impression of a standard visual novel that would prompt the player to become attached to the characters.<ref name="PCGamer"/><ref name="GameGrin"/><ref name="RockPaperShotgun"/><ref name="Kotaku"/> VisualNovelist of [[Jeuxvideo.com]] positively compared the game's visual quality to ''[[Everlasting Summer]]'', another independent visual novel with the appearance of a professional production.<ref name="Jeuxvideo"/> Reviewers pointed out that the game's horror was built on the destruction of a sense of control over what happens in the game and the feeling of helplessness that stems from the distortions in the game's world.<ref name="RockPaperShotgun"/><ref name="Polygon1"/> Victoria Rose of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' stated that this approach was strikingly different from traditional horror games and films, where the viewer remains alienated from what is happening on the screen.<ref name="Polygon1"/> Amy Josuweit of ''[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]'' noted that while earlier visual novels have broken the fourth wall by crashing the client or adding extra files, ''Doki Doki Literature Club!'' changed the angle by deliberately destroying files rather than adding them.<ref name="RockPaperShotgun"/> ''[[GQ]]''{{'}}s Tom Philip commented that at times the narrative felt like "a slog, clicking through endless amounts of inane, flirty conversation about poetry."<ref name=gq>{{cite magazine |title=''Doki Doki Literature Club'' Is the Most Messed Up Horror Game You'll Play This Year |last=Philip |first=Tom |url=https://www.gq.com/story/doki-doki-literature-club-is-the-most-messed-up-horror-game-youll-play-this-year |magazine=[[GQ]] |date=October 19, 2017 |accessdate=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140233/https://www.gq.com/story/doki-doki-literature-club-is-the-most-messed-up-horror-game-youll-play-this-year |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Fenner opined that the game did not pass the [[Bechdel test]] and positioned the protagonist as a seductive casanova. However, he emphasized that the plot is ultimately a "sharply aware polemic against harem anime/visual novels" in which "the lengths the ladies go to are not wholly because of the protagonist, but rather he can be read as a symptom—an easy outlet." Fenner also felt that the game, like ''[[Katawa Shoujo]]'' before it, "appears to veer dangerously close to fetishization of very real issues".<ref name="RPGFan"/> Nevertheless, reviewers recognized the game's plot focus as successful and relevant.<ref name="RPGFan"/><ref name="PCGamer"/><ref name="GameGrin"/> At [[IGN]]'s Best of 2017 Awards, the game won the People's Choice Award each for "Best PC Game",<ref name="IGNAward"/> "Best Adventure Game" (for which it was also a runner-up),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Best_Adventure_Game |title=Best of 2017 Awards: Best Adventure Game |website=IGN |date=December 20, 2017 |accessdate=January 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223120204/http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Best_Adventure_Game |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> "Best Story",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Best_Story |title=Best of 2017 Awards: Best Story |website=IGN |date=December 20, 2017 |accessdate=January 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101215706/http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Best_Story |archive-date=January 1, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and "Most Innovative".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Most_Innovative |title=Best of 2017 Awards: Most Innovative |website=IGN |date=December 20, 2017 |accessdate=January 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102075437/http://www.ign.com/wikis/best-of-2017-awards/Most_Innovative |archive-date=January 2, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The game won the "Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award" and was nominated for "Trending Game of the Year" at the 2018 [[SXSW Gaming Awards]].<ref name="Matthew Crump"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gaming.sxsw.com/news/2018/2018-sxsw-gaming-awards-finalists/ |title=Here Are Your 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards Finalists! |last=McNeill |first=Andrew |date=January 31, 2018 |publisher=[[South by Southwest|SXSW]] |accessdate=February 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180202222809/https://gaming.sxsw.com/news/2018/2018-sxsw-gaming-awards-finalists/ |archive-date=February 2, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Electronic Gaming Monthly|EGMNow]] ranked the game 16th in their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/features/egms-best-of-2017-part-two-20-16/|title=EGM's Best of 2017: Part Two: #20 ~ #16|author=EGM staff|date=December 28, 2017|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly|EGMNow]]|accessdate=January 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140703/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/features/egms-best-of-2017-part-two-20-16/|archive-date=June 12, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> === Suicide of Ben Walmsley === In June 2018, Doki Doki Literature Club! made news to [[BBC News|BBC]], when a 15-year old teenager Ben Walmsley, was found to have hanged himself in February, at his home in [[Radcliffe, Greater Manchester|Radcliffe]], [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Warnings over suicide-themed video game|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-44644127/doki-doki-warnings-over-suicide-themed-video-game|website=BBC News|language=en|access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref> Despite no "direct link" was found by the coroners between him and the game as suggested by his father and the coroners, this has triggered concerns over the risks to young children and [[Emotional and behavioral disorders|emotionally-vulnerable]] people when playing a [[free-to-play]] psychological horror game with a cute background.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A 15-year-old boy dead. His dad warns about the 'horror' game he was playing|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/doki-literature-club-coroner-warning-14830749|last=Britton|first=Paul|last2=Yarwood|first2=Sam|date=2018-06-26|website=men|access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Police Warn Parents About This Controversial Game After a Teen Committed Suicide|url=https://www.fatherly.com/news/police-issue-warning-after-doki-doki-online-game-is-connected-to-teen-suicide/|date=2018-06-28|website=Fatherly|language=en-US|access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Dad links death of son, 15, to horror game Doki Doki Literature Club|url=https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6629760/doki-doki-literature-club-online-psychological-horror-game-warning-death-ben-walmsley/|date=2018-06-26|website=The Sun|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref> In the [[Manchester Evening News]] article posted on November 19, 2018, Ben Walmsley has tried to look up suicide methods on school computers during lessons in the weeks before his death, according to Rochdale Coroner's Court. The internet firewall systems should have prevented him from looking up his search, but did not came into effect the day after his death, when after the IT upgrade following his death, the teachers are now aware of the inquest of Ben Walmsley's death.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Teen boy who hanged himself tried to look up suicide methods on school computers|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ben-walmsley-doki-doki-literature-15435595|last=Britton|first=Paul|date=2018-11-19|website=men|access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{Official website}} * {{Vndb|21905}} [[Category:2017 video games]] [[Category:Artificial intelligence in fiction]] [[Category:Horror video games]] [[Category:Indie video games]] [[Category:Linux games]] [[Category:MacOS games]] [[Category:Mental illness in fiction]] [[Category:Metafictional video games]] [[Category:Psychological horror games]] [[Category:Ren'Py games]] [[Category:Self-reflexive video games]] [[Category:Suicide in fiction]] [[Category:Video games developed in the United States]] [[Category:Video games featuring female antagonists]] [[Category:Video games with alternate endings]] [[Category:Visual novels]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[Category:Western visual novels]] [[Category:Works about depression]]'